Veljko Paunović has made speedy progress during his most memorable season driving Chivas Guadalajara, and it was all in plain view Sunday night.
His club scored two late objectives in an irate finale to the second leg of their Liga MX Clausura elimination round with rival Club América, igniting on-field festivities at Estadio Azteca. In those minutes, midfielder Fernando Beltran jumped into the chief's arms and yelled for bliss.
“A muerte con usted!” Then, at that point, stronger, “A muerte con usted!” With you until the demise, Pauno, he said as the supervisor returned the hug, scoured the rear of his player's head and proceeded to track down the following player to praise.
Chivas versus Tigres
In front of the Liga MX last against Tigres UANL, previous Chicago Fire FC supervisor Paunović has his group accepting, completely becoming involved with the thoughts he's attempted to send since showing up the previous fall before the Clausura.
And keeping in mind that all the attention will be on Thursday's most memorable leg and the definitive second leg Sunday in Guadalajara, Paunović's outcome in his most memorable competition implies he'll before long see a lot of previous companions and enemies in MLS. Chivas have now equipped for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Association and are in a 2023 Associations Cup bunch with Eastern Meeting pioneers FC Cincinnati and Western Gathering slow-starters Wearing Kansas City.
“The main thing for me was that the entire group came out showing it has a gigantic person, an enormous confidence in what we do,” Paunović, who drove Chicago from 2016-19 and played for the Philadelphia Association in 2011, said after Sunday's match.
“Today there wasn't any need to focus on strategies, it wasn't the way we set up, today it was the core of those players and every one individuals who support us and work around us.”
Strategic changes
While it might have been fortitude as opposed to the blackboard that entered Chivas' success in the elimination round series, Paunović likewise has gotten his strategies right to arrive at this position.
He began utilizing a 4-3-3 development like he at times did in Chicago, yet at last changed to a framework without a conventional forward. Víctor Guzmán, who Paunović and wearing chief Fernando Hierro brought from Pachuca in the colder time of year, frequently is the most developed player despite the fact that he generally is an imaginative midfielder. Different times, it's Roberto Alvarado in the most exceptional job, however the 24-year-old has had more achievement functioning as a No. 8 and finding spaces where he can likewise send a decent last ball.
As well as seeing Guzmán and Alvarado take the keys and run, Paunović is dealing with a lot at the preparation ground. Chivas have scored on eight set pieces this season, including the second objective at the Azteca when a speedy pass permitted fullback Alan Mozo to crush in the balancer, and they frequently run a play from the opening shot intended to make an early scoring possibility.
That dynamism in assault has been the greatest change, with Chivas really yielding another objective in the Clausura customary season than they did in the past competition (Apertura) while completing 10th in the table. All things considered, there is reestablished energy at the back where the middle back matching of Antonio “Pollo” Briseño and Gilberto Sepúlveda, in addition to Jesús Orozco Chiquete and Mozo outwardly, all are presenting a defense for public group call-ups.
Paunović likewise has demonstrated proficient at beating unlucky deficiencies this season, getting imaginative right off the bat in the year when star aggressor Alexis Vega experienced a knee injury that kept him out for quite a long time. He thought he'd get forward JJ Macías back from a June tendon tear, yet Macías experienced one more tear in February.
To fill the hole, the chief went to a couple of MLS veterans. Previous Nashville SC and Charlotte FC forward Daniel Ríos procured six beginnings among February and Walk, scoring in a 2-1 win over Panthers, and ex-Atlanta Joined forward Ronaldo Cisneros had begun before the wounds, however took on a greater job. Chivas ran off a seven-match unbeaten run that began to impart confidence in the crew and get fans longing for a thirteenth association title.
Cisneros has kept on contributing, bumping the main objective of Sunday's elimination round prevail upon the line. Rios is seeing minutes, as well, with 13 appearances including a late appearance Sunday.
Paunović by and by should address a physical issue in the event that Chivas will lift the Liga MX prize. Midfielder Carlos Cisneros experienced an upper leg tendon tear while going for a ball in the second leg against América and will miss the last, Associations Cup and the Apertura.
